Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, which causes about 275,000 deaths annually (Parkin D M.; Bray F.; Ferlay J.; Pisani P. Global cancer statistics, 2002. CA cancer J Clin, 2005; 55:74-108). It is estimated that 70% of the cervical cancer is caused by the Human papillomavirus (HPV): Cervical cancer can be detected via the Pap test. HPV vaccines have been licensed in the USA, Canada, Australia and EU. In the United States, FDA has approved HPV two vaccines, Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16, 18) Vaccine, Human Papillomavirus Bivalent (Types 16, 18) Vaccine (Vaccines Licensed for Immunization and Distribution in the US with Supporting Documents. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2009). Despite the fact that cervical cancer can be dramatically reduced by the cervical screen and vaccination, the mortality rate in the United States was 2 deaths per 100,000 women per year for the period from 2003 through 2007 (NIH). In 2010, an estimated 12,200 women in the United States will be diagnosed with cervical cancer, and an estimated 4,210 will die of the disease (Cancer Advances In Focus: Cervical Cancer. National Cancer Institute. The incidence of invasive cervical cancer has remained stable in industrialized nations. In developing countries, cervical cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of the cancer death among women. It is estimated that 200,000-300,000 women die from cervical cancer every year, mostly in the third world (World Health Organization).
Currently, chemotherapy and radiation are the major therapies for the treatment of cancer. However, the side-effect of the chemotherapy and radiation is unavoidable as it indiscriminately kills all fast-growing cells. Hence there exists a long standing need to provide a cancer therapeutic agent that does not harm healthy cells and is specific for cancerous cells, as well as being easily manufactured or produced.